Nowadays, corporations have to consistently advance the value of human assets in their own organizations for maintaining their competitiveness. To achieve this goal, the Human Resource (HR) Dept. plays a decisive role in the aspects of selection, training, employment, and retaining of human resource in the organization. How to improve the efficiency of the HR Dept. and enhance its status in the organizations has become the top agenda to enterprises. The development of Information Technology (IT) transforms the role of the HR Dept. in the organization. It enables HR to be a real strategic partner of corporations through the process of Organization Development. A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) based on the network technology will change the working environment of HR and further lead the transformation of the functions and roles of the HR Dept. Through conducting interviews with 9 companies, this research tries to answer the question, that is, what is the impact to the effectiveness of Human Resource Management when a HRIS is leaded in. It used literature research to analyze the characteristics of Human Resource Management (HRM) and HRIS and sorted out the possible impacts. It also used case study to sharpen the insight by sampling 9 companies which had used HRIS, including foreign and local ones. By doing the work, it drew a conclusion of the impact brought by HRIS and provided a direction of HRIS vendors. The study found that the factors of successfully leading HRIS into a company include the integration with original data, combination with the existing Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERPS), the compatibility of the existing HRIS, HR people¡¦s inability of maintaining HRIS, the suitability of HRIS for company¡¦s specific needs, and the support from high-level management. Leading in a HRIS could benefit the company from decreasing the inconvenience of human operations and increasing the quality of HR¡¦s services. The impacts on the effectiveness of HRM can be seen as the indexes which have positive reaction to HRIS: 1. Reward Management: HRIS provides fast calculation of payment and less human operations. Its tracing function in Payment Module and integration with ERPS help data exchange between HRIS and ERPS. 2. Training Development: HRIS keeps thorough training records of employees. It also can display the average training hours per person, training cost, training results, and etc. 3. Appraisal Management: The whole appraisal process can be done through HRIS, even crossing areas. 4. HR Strategy and Planning: Since HRIS is able to provide more precise data analysis, the quality of decision making of high-level management is enhanced with a great progress. 5. Team Management: Through humanity design of HRIS, more participation from employees is involved. Management spreading in different places still can use HRIS as a platform to exchange HR related information.

The Relationship of Firm Resources and Competitive Strategy:Local Public Relation Corporations of Kaoshiung

ABSTRACT Along with the progress of science and technology and the development of information, the competitions between enterprises are becoming more and more intense which leads one to wonder how an enterprise can stand out among its numerous competitors. Therefore, one of the important challenges which determine how an enterprise could succeed is how to distribute its resources to create a core-competence for future business opportunities. It should also be able to find new application for its existing core competence. Not only that, for building its core competence an enterprise needs outstanding people and as such, how to manage its human resource to create core competence should also be an important theme. Most of the HR employment method only focuses on one particular group of people, hence overlooking the fact that different groups within an enterprise could be employed for different task. In view of this, this research is based on the constructive viewpoint mentioned by Prahalad & Hamel (1994) on core competence, together with Lepak & Snell¡¦s(1999) architecture of human resource. This research circles around four different stages ¡V maintenance of core competence, innovation of core competence, extension of core competence and development of new capabilities. It studies the types of method, relation and structure an enterprise should adopt in order to acquire the necessary HR and develop a HR strategic structure which could stand the test of time. Adopting an in-depth interview method, this research targeted a certain large scale English tutorial centre in Kaohsiung as the subject of study. It studied the human resource employment mode, relation and HR configuration adopted by this tutorial centre to build up its core competence. The result of this research showed: 1. Company A adopted internal development method, a business transaction or partnership type of relationship and market-base and commitment HR configuration to build its human resource on maintaining core competence. 2. In creating new core competence, Company A adopted internal development method as well as recruitment of talents method. Relationship adopted was that of business transaction and partnership type and HR configuration was that of market-base and commitment. 3. Method adopted for expansion of core competence was pretty much the same.

Abstract Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Board Logistics Division¡¦s response strategies to Taiwan¡¦s entry into the World Trade Organization -from an integrated view of resource-base, resource-dependence, and network theories. The three theories including resource-base, resource-dependence, and network stress how companies obtain competitive advantage from inside to outside of the company. The synergy coming from integrating all three theories should further strengthen a corporation¡¦s competitiveness. After Taiwan¡¦s entry into the World Trade Organization, the tobacco and wine industry in Taiwan have faced fierce competition from new competitors. This poses both as a threat and as an opportunity for Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Board¡¦s Logistics Division. Through the analysis of the aforementioned three theories, this paper hopes to gain insight into how much competitive edge the Board has in terms of its advantages and disadvantages, its interdependence and relationship within the tobacco and wine industry as well as with other industries. Thus this paper hopes to combine and integrate the Division¡¦s external and internal resources and then make response strategies and policy suggestions accordingly. The results of this research include: 1. Products, price, distribution and sales channels, assets, and the competence of Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Board Logistics Division were all greatly affected by Taiwan¡¦s entry into the WTO. 2. Both assets and competences are considered as the company¡¦s internal resources. Advantages should be further made use of where disadvantages should be taken care of. 3. The Board¡¦s Logistics Division is currently most closely related to the tobacco and brewage factories under the same company. However, this relationship will be looser in the future due to the competition and the struggle to survive both entities face. On the other hand, the Logistics Division¡¦s relationship with transport companies, retailers, hypermarkets, convenience stores will be closer through investment, franchise, or partnerships. Its relationship with private sector manufacturers, domestic and oversea agents, cross-industry suppliers, distributors will also become much closer. 4. The Board¡¦s dependence on factories under the same company will decrease from highly dependent to a much lower degree ; its dependence on private sector manufacturers and domestic and oversea agents (who imports products from overseas after entry into the WTO) will grow from nil to highly dependent (dependence on importers already importing products before entry into WTO will decrease from an already meager degree to much less); dependence on cross-industry suppliers and distributors will become higher from a previously low degree; dependence on transport companies, retailers, hypermarkets and convenience stores will also become much higher from an already close relationship. 5. The Logistics Division should, after Taiwan¡¦s entry into the WTO, start from developing its internal advantages and disadvantages and search for ways to establish external links, as well as reducing its dependence on external sources. The three essential elements including resource-base, resource-dependence, and networks should be integrated through complement of resources, natural production, and increased interdependence. This and together with other strategies including diversification, strategic alliances, cooperating within the industry and across industries both domestically and internationally, should all be taken into account in the drawing up of response strategies in order to create competitive advantage for the Division. In view of these findings, this paper proceeds to make the following recommendations: 1. Increase retailer margins and encourage a more diversified range of promotional tactics. 2. Develop high-value products and improve package design. 3. Leverage existing advantages in distribution and sales channels and engage in the agency, distribution, and diversification into non-tobacco and nonalcoholic products. 4. Cut down distribution and sales channels and strengthen direct sales channels. 5. Intensify logistics and distributional functions. 6. Strengthen employees¡¦ professional knowledge and competence and improve information systems. 7. Accelerate the expansion of overseas markets, especially mainland China. 8. Speed up the company¡¦s privatization process. Based on an integrated view of resource-base, resource-dependence, and network theories, this paper presents a brief overview of how Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Board¡¦s Logistics Division¡¦s relationships with other companies in the same industry as well as cross-industry alliances had been affected post Taiwan¡¦s WTO entry. In view of these changes that have taken place, this paper also proceeds to make a few suggestions with regard to how the Logistics Division could respond to the challenges it now faces. Key Words¡G WTO¡AResource-base¡AResource-dependence¡ANetwork Theory¡AIntegrate

The water system on Maui Island in Hawaii is an integral part of the island’s infrastructure, affecting energy, agriculture, waste, and domestic systems. Both the built and the natural water systems are likely to be altered over the coming decades. Maui’s two major industries are agriculture and tourism, which compete for water and land resources. Maui faces high costs for food and fuel it must import, and agricultural efforts might shift from plantation-scale monocropping to energy production or diversified agriculture for food. Simultaneously, land use changes (like deforestation), climate change, and cyclical droughts affect Maui’s freshwater supply. Water planning and management based on careful assessment can be valuable tools for a community expecting that water will become increasingly scarce. Since water plays a large role in many other systems, choices about water allocation and use can help the island move toward solutions of multiple problems at once, including energy scarcity, coastal protection, and financial health. This work provides a dynamic snapshot of Maui’s current built and natural water systems, then analyzes two potential water management actions: pumped storage hydroelectric facilities built on existing reservoirs and use of secondary treated wastewater to irrigate biomass for power. Based on cost estimates and alternative solutions, neither of these applications are currently judged viable. / text

<p> It is difficult to assess rangeland management practices at a hillslope scale because of the spatial and temporal variability of ecohydrological processes across a landscape. The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) aims to provide a cost-effective method for quantifying benefits of conservation practices on rangelands. This study uses the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) to develop a framework to assess rangeland management practices by quantifying sediment yield and runoff. Kaler Ranch, located in Eastern Arizona, was used as a study site because of their recently implemented rangeland conservation practices. Vegetation parameters were developed based on field data collected across the ranch and used to represent various rangeland management scenarios in RHEM. Peak flow and sediment yield rates were determined for each scenario using RHEM and were used as metrics to evaluate rangeland condition. RHEM provided an adequate method to evaluate the relative differences between upland rangeland management scenarios; however, it was less effective at evaluating changes in management practices within a riparian area.</p>

This paper describes and analyzes how individuals and organizations that operate in careers in communications and marketing deal with the search for employees / employers, and how recruiting managers and recruitment consultants are working to create a match between the parties. The study was conducted on behalf of a recruitment agency that offers services in recruiting and staffing for organizations in communication and marketing. The empirical material consists of ten qualitative interviews from three different perspectives on the labor market, recruitment consultants, managers and employees. The interviews were analyzed from sociological and social psychological theories of organizations and individuals opportunities and strategies in today's western labor market. Conclusions that emerged are that organizations need for decreased amount of tied assets provides increased need for temporary employments. To plan and manage the strategic HR operation in the flexible organizations, with more temporary employments and decentralized structures, it has become important to increase factors of control. This generally applies to the entire recruitment process but also for potential employees. Employees increasingly aim to move on to new jobs in new organizations require that organizations develop strong employer brands. Unless employees have incentive to stay in the organization it is a risk of competence losses and the loss of control over HR work. Also people who are looking for jobs use strategies such as marketing to get a job. The study indicates a shift in responsibility for the search from organization to job applicant. A further trend is that today's leaders are looking for new employees with the "right" personality. Job applicant adjusts their self-presentation to their perception of what the employer considers to be a suitable personality in general, but also towards the specific job and organization and thus makes it matchable.

Contest outcomes are usually determined by differences in resource holding potential, the social histories of the combatants, and perceptions of resource value. One understudied aspect of gaining an advantage is the residency effect. Prior occupancy of a particular place can affect the knowledge and motivation of the resident. There could be a tactical advantage in knowing the terrain or an increased willingness to fight to maintain control of a familiar area. In this study we evaluated the importance of shelter residency effects relative to size differences between rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus) as potential competitors for access to shelter. The intensity of any residency effects was manipulated by altering the number of shelters in the arena. Our results suggest that any residency effect is very weak in this system, and if present may often be masked by the strong and pervasive influence on contest outcome of the relative body sizes of the contestants. We also found that both shelter number and crayfish size asymmetries had strong, independent effects on levels of aggression. Dominance, but not residency status, was a factor in shelter use.

<p> Parcelization is an increasing concern to land managers in the rural regions of the United States. In order to protect vital ecosystem goods and services, resource managers need to account for decreasing parcel sizes. The Catskill region of New York State contains both the New York City Watershed and the Catskill Preserve. In order to maintain ecosystem functions within these sensitive areas, wise planning is needed in the development of rural lands. This study documents the change in private, rural parcel dynamics from 2004 to 2010 in the Catskill region at the township scale. A parcel density map was developed to observe trends in distribution of small parcels. The average parcel size dropped from 13.9 acres in 2004 to 13.1 acres in 2010. The distribution of small private, rural parcels is diffuse across the study region, implying the transition from resource management focused land holdings to rural residential within the Catskill region.</p>

The increasingly diverse nature of modern applications makes it critical for future systems to have dynamic resource scaling capabilities which enable them to adapt their resource usage to meet user requirements. Such mechanisms should be both fine-grained in nature for resource-efficient operation and also provide a high scaling range to support a variety of applications with diverse needs. To this end, heterogeneous platforms, consisting of components with varying characteristics, have been proposed to provide improved performance/efficiency than homogeneous configurations, by making it possible to execute applications on the most suitable component. However, introduction of such heterogeneous architectural components requires system software to embrace complexity associated with heterogeneity for managing them efficiently. Diversity across vendors and rapidly changing hardware make it difficult to incorporate heterogeneity-aware resource management mechanisms into mainstream systems, affecting the widespread adoption of these platforms. Addressing these issues, this dissertation presents novel abstractions and mechanisms for heterogeneous platforms which decouple heterogeneity from management operations by masking the differences due to heterogeneity from applications. By exporting a homogeneous interface over heterogeneous components, it proposes the scalable 'resource state' abstraction, allowing applications to express their resource requirements which then are dynamically and transparently mapped to heterogeneous resources underneath. The proposed approach is explored for both modern mobile devices where power is a key resource and for cloud computing environments where platform resource usage has monetary implications, resulting in HeteroMates and HeteroVisor solutions. In addition, it also highlights the need for hardware and system software to consider multiple resources together to obtain desirable gains from such scaling mechanisms. The solutions presented in this dissertation open ways for utilizing future heterogeneous platforms to provide on-demand performance, as well as resource-efficient operation, without disrupting the existing software stack.